Hamels (7-9) delivered six innings of one-run ball en route to a win over the Royals on Monday, allowing seven hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
Hamels allowed a run on two hits in the second inning, but he settled down and scattered baserunners the rest of the way as he limited the hosts to one. He threw 68 percent of his pitches for strikes, and though he couldn't strike hitters out as effectively as he did in his Cubs debut, he invited plenty of weak contact to record outs. Hamels has now allowed just one earned run across 11 innings since arriving in a trade with the Rangers and appears to have benefited from the change of scenery. He'll next get the ball this weekend against the Nationals.